Digitally augmenting traditional play environments
Steve Hinske · Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich) · 2009
Digitally augmented toys and games are traditional toys or game pieces equipped with sensing technology, computing power and communication capabilities. This allows designers to incorporate novel virtual elements previously only available in video games without compromising the tangible and social benefits of traditional play objects. Through this digital augmentation, play environments have the potential to support users by providing them with context-aware information and services and thus to enrich play experiences and facilitate playful learning. While play environments can benefit from the seamless merging of the virtual and the physical world via such technologies, designing and implementing augmented play environments can be rather onerous. In recent years, research on utilizing pervasive computing technologies for games and toys has focused on demonstrating what is technologically possible. However, this has typically fallen short of addressing the question of how to actually design augmented play objects and environments. Designers will not only be challenged by the integration of technology into traditional play environments, but also by the typically involved complexity and idiosyncrasies of the particular play scenario at hand. As a result, they must design and implement an infrastructure that will support a variety of potential play objects which inhabit the particular environment. Additionally, the users – many of whom are children – must be provided with adequate interfaces that empower them to configure and adapt the augmented play environment according to their personal preferences and requirements. This thesis addresses these challenges by examining different play scenarios and investigating how pervasive computing technologies can be used to support players, create more immersive environments and facilitate playful learning. The goal is to provide a framework to help system developers design and implement augmented play environments. To this end, both a process model and a set of design guidelines are proposed for